It was not just the result that made Ferriby’s day gloomier. Virtually all of the second-half was played with only around half the floodlights working.

That saw Lancaster defending in the gloom and the difference in light at both ends of the pitch made life difficult.

Lancaster had the better of the first-half and deserved their lead. They were well-led by skipper Rob Wilson, Craig Stanley and Tom Kilfin. Ferriby’s defence lacked the cohesion it showed at Grantham last week

It was Lancaster who looked the more threatening in the opening stages. Matty Blinkhorn placed one header straight to Lewis Exall before drawing a diving save from him. Steven Williams put the visitors ahead after eight minutes when he was left free to head home a Wilson cross. It was a good finish but, once again, Ferriby players, management and supporters were left wondering as to how Williams was able to score unchallenged.

The lead was short-lived as Jake Martindale equalised with a tap-in from close-range after good work by Gary Bradshaw and Tom Waudby down the right-hand side.

Lancaster kept up the pressure and Ryan Winder had a shot deflected for a corner then Tom Kilfin hit a shot in to the ground and saw it bounce up to Exall.

David Norris put Lancaster ahead again after 19 minutes when he burst past the back-four to slide the ball past keeper Lewis Exall.

Ferriby battled hard with Will Waudby having a decent debut and Josh Vickers, Martindale and Bradshaw working hard all through the game.

Rob Wilson, Craig Stanley, Kilfin and Norris, until he was injured, drove the visitors forward. They made life difficult for the Ferriby back-four and The Villagers’ midfield was struggling to get a grip also.

Tom Waudby and Martindale were a constant threat when Ferriby did get forward. However chances were at a premium at both ends.

Ferriby twice went close before half-time. Jack Mail’s blocked shot rebounded to Jack Smith whose 20-yard drive was turned round by keeper Jack Sims. Martindale then burst through but with Sims out of his goal, the shot was blocked by a defender.

The second-half largely belonged to Ferriby. They pushed Lancaster back for much of the half with Bradshaw controlling midfield. Tom Waudby and Martindale continued to create problems for the Lancaster defence but there were few chances at either end throughout the half.

Tom Waudby had a shot blocked but it was the visitors who came closest to scoring in the opening minutes. Kilfin’s parried by Exall and Wilson’s shot on the rebound was blocked. Lancaster did not threaten after that.

Jack Smith, possible broken collarbone, and Jack Mail, nasty gash, both had to be substituted and ended up in A&E.

Ferriby threatened in the final minutes.. A good penalty appeal for an apparent foul on Bradshaw was declined. Sims parried a shot and shots from Callum Harrison and Tom Waudby were blocked.

The game exploded in added-time. A Josh Walker shot was turned round by Sims. From the resulting corner chaos ensued with a goalmouth melee involving most players. It ended with a couple of bookings and Ferriby’s Callum Harrison dismissed for a second caution. It was an unseemly end to the game.

Reactions like this cannot be condoned but tempers began to fray prior to this when some unnecessarily harsh challenges were not appropriately dealt with by the officials.

The result was bad enough for Ferriby, but with two players having to go to hospital and one sent-off, Paul Foot may have reduced squad to choose from next week at Warrington

Foot commented,

“I’ve just told the players that I wished it didn’t take mistakes or goals to go in for them to react. I’ve told them that is the ruthlessness of football. Last week we had a great win and they’ve gone in to today’s game thinking ‘That’s it’, but it’s not. The players were buzzing coming in to the game but they have to be aware that it’s going to be difficult in every game.

“It’s not going to be rosy now until the end of April. They’ve got to forget last week. I think they perhaps came out thinking they were going to win again but it’s not that easy. We conceded sloppy goals again.

“We gave them a bit of a rollicking at half-time and we were a completely different team in the second-half.

“We had a couple of good chances but failed to take them. I thought it was an obvious penalty but it wasn’t given.”